Boston Brown Bread Recipe

This Boston Brown Bread Recipe makes a New England classic in a fraction of the time! This deliciously sweet and dense bread paired with a side of baked beans makes for the perfect comfort dish--and all made in your Instant Pot.

Boston Brown Bread Recipe

Why This Boston Brown Bread Recipe Is So Fantastic

Okay, so if you've never had Boston Baked Bread, or New England Brown Bread, before, let me just share how fantastic and unique it is.

This bread is characterized by it's delightfully rich and sweet molasses flavor, paired with whole wheat flour, making a bread that is so very good that you'll find yourself going back for seconds or thirds (and I won't judge you if you even go back for more than that).

It's one of those regionally traditional dishes that you rarely see outside of where it originates from, and that's a true shame because of how incredibly tasty it is.

Now Boston Brown Bread is traditionally made by steaming the bread batter inside of empty tin cans, and many recipes you can find on the internet still follow that time-tested method.

Not only can it be a fairly fiddly task, but it can take a long time to cook it that way. As entertaining as it would be to make this the traditional route, I decide to opt for a less traditional, more efficient method for my Boston Brown Bread Recipe.

My Boston Brown Bread recipe uses a simple bundt pan in place of tin cans and is cooked in, you guessed it, the Instant Pot. The bread is still steamed as it would be traditionally, but in a fraction of the time! And when I say that it's a quick method to make Boston Brown Bread, I mean quick.

The bread is seriously done cooking in the Instant Pot after just 30 minutes. This leaves you more time to do the more important things in life.

How To Make This Boston Brown Bread Recipe

  1. Grease a 6-cup bundt pan and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, buttermilk, molasses, and sugar.
  3. Stir in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, allspice, walnuts, and raisins.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover the pan with foil.
  5. Add 1.5 cups of water in the Instant Pot. Place a steamer rack in the pot. Place the pan on the rack.
  6. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes.
  7. Open the lid and carefully remove the pan. Allow the pan to cook a little. Run a knife along the edge of the pan, and then unmold the bread. Slice and serve.

Tips And Tricks For Making This Boston Brown Bread Recipe

  • It's absolutely imperative that you grease the bundt pan before cooking this Boston Brown Bread unless you're a fan of eating your bread in shredded form. That's what it's going to take to get the bread out of the pan at that point.
  • When you take the bundt pan out of the Instant Pot, make sure to let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. The residual heat will further cook the bread. The bread is much easier to remove from the pan when it has had a little time to cool.
  • Try spreading a little cream cheese on the brown bread! The tang and creaminess of the cream cheese help balance out the rich sweetness of the molasses.

What Can I Make With Boston Brown Bread?

  • If you're making this Boston Brown Bread Recipe, you absolutely must have it with my Boston Baked Beans Recipe at some point! They're practically made for each other, and it's easily the most common pairing for this dish.
  • So you're making some Boston Baked Beans? You might as well make some delightfully sweet and tangy Pressure Cooker Ribs and make it a full meal!
  • If you're looking for a less traditional pairing, the tang of my Cranberry Chutney adds a delicious contrast to the sweetness of my Boston Brown Bread recipe!

Whether you grew up eating canned brown bread or it's your first time hearing of it, you're sure to enjoy this delightfully sweet Boston Brown Bread Recipe! Make sure to share this recipe with your friends on Pinterest and Facebook so they can enjoy it too!

Boston Brown Bread Recipe
Boston Brown Bread Recipe

Boston Brown Bread Recipe

This Boston Brown Bread Recipe makes a New England classic in no time! Enjoy this delicious sweet and dense bread with a side of baked beans!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Boston Brown Bread, Boston Brown Bread Recipe, New England Brown Bread
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 274kcal
Author: URVASHI PITRE
Click on highlighted ingredients or Equipment to see exactly what I use to make this recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Grease a 6-cup bundt pan and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, buttermilk, molasses, and sugar.
  • Stir in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, allspice, walnuts, and raisins.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover the pan with foil.
  • Place 1.5 cups of water in the Instant Pot. Place a steamer rack in the pot. Place the pan on the rack.
  • Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes.
  • Open the lid and carefully remove the pan. Allow the pan to cook a little. Run a knife along the edge of the pan, and then unmold the bread. Slice and serve.
  • It's absolutely imperative that you grease the bundt pan before cooking the bread unless you're a fan of eating your bread in shredded form, as that's what it's going to take to get the bread out of the pan at that point.
  • When you take the bundt pan out of the Instant Pot, make sure to let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. The residual heat will further cook the bread and the bread is much easier to remove from the pan when it has had a little time to cool.
  • Try spreading a little cream cheese on the brown bread! The tang and creaminess of the cream cheese help balance out the rich sweetness of the molasses.

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Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 16g
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4.67 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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17 Comments

  1. I’m glad I read through the comments to know that the correct ingredient is baking soda not baking powder. 2021, still no update in the ingredient list.

  2. Hi Urvashi,
    Love your site. Very informative. I've tried many of your recipes and they all turned out great (I also have your Instant Pot and air fryer books too!). One question regarding steaming this bread in the IP. Does the foil cover the whole bundt pan or just the top? I was wondering that if it's just the top that is covered with foil won't condensation get to the bread from the steam coming through the opening in the centre tube?
    Thanks.

  3. I have a 7" springform pan, but not a small Bundt pan. Pretty sure it will work; do you think I'll need to make any adjustments? The Bundt pan has a hole in the middle right? So the springform might need to steam longer for the heat to get all the way to the middle. 35 minutes?

    Two tsp is a lot of baking soda! It might be the right amount for baking powder, but you wouldn't use baking powder with the buttermilk and molasses. Should it perhaps be 1 tsp of soda?

    Thanks, Bob

  4. I used a more traditional recipe from a Bread magazine but followed the cooking instructions and it turned out excellent

  5. I have a regular sized InstantPot not the large one that would accommodate my Bundt Pan. What other pan options could I use??

    1. How about a 7x 3 pan? You may have to cook for longer since the middle may take longer to cook without the bundt

  6. In the ingredients, Baking Powder is listed. In the recipe, it says Baking Soda. Could you tell me which is correct?

  7. 5 stars
    Brown bread is one of my favorites. This will be on frequent rotation at my house. I can't wait for it to be done.